Curtain-tightening device.



A. W. WYLIB'. 003mm TIGHTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 10J 1910. 1,099,959. I Patented June 16,1914

2 SHEET B8HEET 1.

A. W. WYLIE. CURTAIN TIGHTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 10, 1910.

Patented June 16, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A, r i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED W. WYLIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CURTAIN- TIGHTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed December 10, 1910. Serial No. 596,692.

of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the production of means for stretching and tightening a fabric curtain or the like which it is desired to maintain taut and free of wrinkles, and is particularly designed to afford a simple, efficient and easily manipulated device for this purpose.

While not limited to such application, my invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with the fabric screens or ourtains which are employed for exhibiting projected pictures, it being essential to the perfect display of such pictures that the screen or curtain shall present a smooth surface since even slight wrinkles or theappea-rance of looseness seriously impairs the detail of the picture and causes obscuring shadows.

The principal feature of my invention, generally stated, consists in the combination with a rigid frame or support to which the fabric or screen is attached, of a supplemental frame that is mounted upon and is adjustable with respect to the frame to which the curtain is secured, t adjustable frame being arranged to bear up n the under surface of the fabric and to force the same away from the frame to which it is attached to thus stretch or tighten the curtain and eliminate any wrinkles from its surface.

There are other features of invention, residing in particular combinations and features of elemental construction, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawings chosen for the purpose of' illustrating my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in theijlclaims, Figure 1 is a plan view of a form of iny invention suitable for mounting large screens 01' curtains such as are used for exhibiting motion pictures; Fig. 2 is a detail cross-section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken through one of the adjusting devices and the use of a housing or molding for the purpose of simulating a picture frame being also shown; Fig. 3 is a detall VIQWYOIE a portion of the adjustable frame and one of the ad ustlng rods; Fig. 4 is a detail view,partly in plan and partly in section, showing the preferred construction of the adjustable frame; Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of one of the members of the frame adjusting deviceillustrated in Fig. 2; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views corresponding to Fig. 2, but illustrating different modified forms of the invention; Figs; 9 and 10 are detail views showing in cross section and in elevation, respectively, a modified form of means for connecting the adjustable frame to its adjusting means; and Figs. 11 and 12 are detail views, partly in cross section and partly in elevation, showing further modified forms of connection between the adjustable frame and its adjusting means.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully so that others skilled in the art to which it appertainc may apply the same. a

In the drawings, 1 indicates the flexible curtain or screen, which may be permanently attached along its edges to the rigid frame 2 in any suitable manner, as, .for example, by means of tacks 1. The configuration of the frame 2 may be as desired, but it is, as shown, preferably formed as a hollow rectangle the upper surface whereof is channeled, as at 2*, to permit the adjustable frame 3 to be retracted in a direction normal to the plane of the frame 2 and our.-

tain 1 until it lies wholly below the surface of the frame2. If desired a casing 2 of sheet metal may be secured to the frame 2 for the purpose of causing the picture to be displayed as in a frame.

The adjustable frame 3, which is prefer ably of rectangular form with rounded corners, should, in order to give the best results, be sufliciently light and flexible to permit the tension on the screen 1 to be adjusted at the point where the Wrinkle appears without in an material degree varying the tension on t e fabric at other points. To this end the adjustable frame 3 may be-conveniently constructed of sections of straight tubing 3 which, as shown in Fig.4, are connected at their ends by means of curved couplings 3 that are formed with doweled ends which enter the tubing sections and are secured thereto. The rounded surface of the tubing in contact with the under side of the flexible screen 1 minimizes the likelihood of producing wrinkles due to differences in the tension on the fabric inside and outside of the adjustable frame 3, while the rounded corners of the frame formed by the are shaped couplings 3" are particularly advantageous not only in gathering up and eliminating the Wrinkles at the corners of the frame, which are the points where such defects are most apt to occur, but also in preventing injury to the fabric.

The frame 3 is carried upon the frame 2 through the intermediacy of a series of independent adjusting devices which are mounted at intervals upon the rigid frame 2 by means of which the frames may be either brought together or separated in a direction normal to the planes of said frames. As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, each of these adjusting devices preferably comprises a support or box member 4:, an adjusting rod 5 having threaded engagement with the supporting member 4, and a spring 6 which is interposed between the supporting member 4 and the adjustable frame 3. The supporting members or boxes 4, which fit and'are secured in appropriately shaped apertures communicating with the channels 2 of the frame 2, are open at the sides so as not to interrupt the continuity of the frame receiving channels 2 and are formed with threaded openings 4 that are adapted to receive the corresponding threaded portion 5 of the adjusting rod 5. The upper portion of each adjusting rod 5 is preferably of less diameter than the threaded portion 5 thereof and its upper end is provided with a transversely extending pin or key 5 that serves to prevent the disassociation of the several rods 5 and adjustable frame 3 until all the pins 5 are brought into alinement with their respective slots 3 in the under side of the adjustable frame, as shown in Fig. 3. This simple arrangement permits the adjustable frame 3 to be drawn toward the rigid frame 2 by turning the threaded adjusting rods 5 in the proper direction, the adjusting rods being so manipulated as to always leave a sufficient number of them standing in properposition to maintain their pins 5 out of alinement with the corresponding slots 3.

In order to automatically compensate for the expansion and contraction of the screen 1 in response to slight changes in temperature and in atmospheric conditions, it is preferred to provide each of the frame adjusting devices with a light spring 6 that is threaded upon the adjusting rod 5 and is interposed between a seat or washer 7 that bears upon the under side of the adjustable frame 3 and another seat or washer 8 that rests upon the shoulder formed at the upper end of the threaded portion 5 of the rod 5.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings is shown a form of construction in which the rigid frame 9 and adjustable frame 10 are yieldingly separated by light springs 11 that are housed 1n pockets wh1ch communicate with the channelsformed in the frame 9 for receiving the adjustable frame 10. As will be readily understood, these springs effect a light and uniform pressure upon the screen 1 wherever the adjustable frame 10 comes in' contact with it, and in some cases this form of construction will be found to be sufiiciently effective to prevent wrinkling and looseness of the screen 1.

In some installations it is not convenient to manipulate the adjusting devices from the back of the rigid frame. When such is the'case the threaded adjusting rod may be conveniently rotated by an arrangement'of bevel gears such as is shown in Flg. 7 of the drawings, the shaft of the bevel gear 12 extending outwardly toward the edge of the rigid frame 13 and being preferably formed with a squared-end 12 which is adapted to receive a crank by which the shaft may be rotated. This modified form of construction also shows adjusting devices for the adjustable frame 14 in which no springs are employed, the threaded adjusting rod 15 being designed to bear directly upon the under side of the adjustable frame.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings is shown a modified form of my invention which is especially suited for installations where, from lack of space, it is desired to be able to utilize as great an area as possible for the display of the pictures. In such a case the flexible screen 1 may be attached along its edges to the rear face of the rigid frame 16 and the adjustable frame 17 may be forced outwardly or permitted to move inwardly by manipulating the threaded adjusting rod 18 to control the pressure of the spring 19 uponthe frame 17, as will be readily understood. In this form of constructiont-he sides of the adjustable frame 17 are not connected at the corners, thus permitting independent movement of the several sides.

"Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 illustrate several modified forms of construction which may be employed for connecting the adjustable frame to the threaded adjusting rods in a simple manner. In Figs. 9 and 1.0 the threaded adjusting rod 20 is connected to the adjustable frame 21 through the instrumentality of a clip 22, the adjustable frame being provided with grooves 21 into which the flanges of the clip extend, and the upper end of the adjusting rod 20 having a reduced portion 20* which passes through an opening in the base of the clip and is upset to permanently secure these parts together. The grooves 21 and 21" with which the adjustable frame members 21 are provided permit the assembly of the parts by slipping the clips 22 and attached adjusting rods 20 on the frame member. In Fig 11 the tubular adjustable frame member 23 is provided with diametrically arranged openings 23 and 23*, the aperture 23 being sufliciently large to permit the insertion of a tdol for upsetting the reduced end portion of the adjusting rod 24 which passes through the aperture 23 in the tubular frame member. In Fig. 12 the adjustable frame member 25 rovided with countersunk holes, as 25, which receive the reduced upper ends of the threaded adjusting rods 26, the upper end of each adjusting rod being upset, as at 26, to maintain the connection of the frame and adjusting rods.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A'rectangular frame for a moving picture screen adapted to be dismembered for shipment and comprising main bars ada ted to be rigidly connected at their ends to orm a rigid rectangular main frame, auxiliary bars of less length than the main bars and adapted to be connected at their ends to form an auxiliary frame of less external dimensions, the main bars being provided with longitudinal grooves in their faces adapted to'receive the auxiliary bars and to protect them in shipment, the main frame being adapted to have a moving picture screen secured at its edges thereto, and adjusting means interposed between the main bars and the auxiliary bars associated therewith adapted to secure the auxiliary bars in their grooves and when the icture frame is assembled adapted to adjust the auxiliary frame relatively to the main frame for tensioning a picture screen.

2. A rectangular frame for a flexible moving picture screen comprising a mainframe and an auxiliary frame carried thereby, the main frame being adapted to carry a flexible moving picture screen in flat condition with its edges secured to the ed es of the main frame, a plurality of adjust ng screws spaced around the 'main frame an mounted thereon adapted to adjust the position ofthe auxiliary frame relatively to the main frame for stretching a flexible'screen, and springs interposed between said screws 7 and the auxiliary frame for continuously exerting a yielding pressure on a screen.

3. A rectangular frame for a flexible moving picture screen comprising a rigid main frame and an auxiliary frame of less external dlmenslons, said mam frame be1ng provided in its face with a continuous groove adapted to receive the auxiliary frame, the main frame being adapted to have a. flexible moving picture screen in flat condition attached at its edges to the outer edges thereof, and means interposed between the two frames for moving the auxiliary frame outward relatively to the main frame, the two frames cooperating to stretch a picture screen.

4. .In a device of the'character indicated, the combination of two frames, said frames being relatively movable away from each other in a direction normal to the planes thereof, means for movin said frames apart in a directionnormal to t eir planes and for maintaining said frames separated to put a curtain in tension, and a yielding'means in terposed between the movable frame and the means for moving said frame to exert a yielding pressure 'on a curtain.

5. In a device of the character indicated, the combination of two frames, said frames being relatively movable away from each other in a direction normal to the planes sions carried thereby, the main frame adapted to ha e a moving picture screen attached thereto, yielding means interposed between the .auxiliaryand main frames to move the auxiliary frame from the main frame, and other means for adjusting the pressure of said yielding means, as and for the purpose specified. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED w. WYLIE.

' Witnesses:

RoLLo M. Coma, Inmzn M. MURPHY. 

